THE GUYS WHO ARE GOOD, SAT 22MAR2014

When friends snake friends

Loc: El Porto

Crew: Rick, Gary, John A.

Time: 0730-0900

Conditions: 1-3 FT, onshore, overcast

     I have homies at my favorite local break, but I haven’t seen Rick in a while, so I choose to go to Porto. The lot is only half filled, and it makes sense because the surf is shit.

     It’s an overcast morning, overcast enough that it looks like it might drizzle. The wind is already onshore, and the small peaks are crumbling. But despite the wind and the weather, the small crumbly peaks have shoulders.

     The lineup is a little crowded. There are a lot of longboarders today, usually a sign that the performance surfers will take a lay day today, but even the local celebs are out, like Wagner, local big-wave charger and aerialist. As I had said before, he used to talk to me in the lineup, but he doesn’t even look my way anymore.

     Another local guy, who’s bald-headed with tattoos, snakes him on his Costco foamie. On the way back to the lineup, he looks at Wags, whistling to get his attention. “Every day, my brother,” he says. “Every day.”

     Meanwhile, Wags doesn’t even acknowledge him. He looks like he’s annoyed and hungry for a wave. They split the next peak. The Costco guy comes back and takes another one again, unsharing.

     The encounter reminds me of when I went to Java last summer. I’ll never forget the tension I had felt in the lineup during overhead slabby surf. Guys were smoking cigarettes in the water. I’ve seen some pretty massive egos, and I’m thinking . . . why have one at Porto, especially on a day like this. Why have a nasty ego at all.

     I don’t mad dog the people around me. I don’t even care that most surfers are better than I am. I’m here for the love and stoke for a turn.

     But getting a turn is hard. Rick snakes me on two waves. Yup. Two. He’s the homie though, my surf mentor, and these are mess-around waves anyway, so who cares. I’m stoked to see Rick stoked.